Course Syllabus Professor: Burk Foster
CJUS 401 Office: Mouton 226
"The Big House: Telephone: 482-6172
The American Prison in History" Office Hours: W 10:00-12:00 and 1:00-3:00
University of Louisiana-Lafayette TR 1:00-2:00
Fall 2002 e-mail: burk@louisiana.edu
I. Course Objectives
This course is intended to provide a thorough review of the historical development of the prison in American history, from colonial times to the present. The course will emphasize:
1. the ideologies important to confinement in different eras.
2. the persistent themes of imprisonment over time.
3. the architecture associated with different prison models.
4. through film, a close-up view of several historic prisons.
5. the history of corrections in Louisiana through the 1950s.
II. Texts
Required texts:
Scott Christianson. With Liberty for Some: 500 Years of Imprisonment in America. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1998. (ISBN 1-55553-364-7)
John W. Roberts. Reform and Retribution: An Illustrated History of American Prisons. Lanham, MD: American Correctional Association, 1997. (ISBN 1-56991-054-5)
III. Outline/Reading Assignments (see detailed "Course Outline")
Part I. Early Punishments and the Rise of the Penitentiary
Christianson: 1, 2, 3, 4
Roberts: 1, 2, 3
Part II. Modern Prisons
Christianson: 5, 6, 7, 8
Roberts: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Part III. Louisiana History
Handout Articles:
IV. Grading
The course grade is made up of a combination of components:
1. Three major exams (each covering one part above) worth 100 points each. The exams, consisting of multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions, will cover everything done in class--readings, discussion, videos, extra handouts--in that bloc of the course.
2. A comprehensive final exam, worth 100 points, made up of multiple choice and essay questions.
3. The class participation grade (as described below in detail) is worth 100 points.
4. The video journal, also worth 100 points. According to the schedule, ten of the "Big House" videos featuring specific American prisons will be shown in this class through the end of October. The journal should be a critique--not a summary--of these videos. You can provide a very brief summary of each one, but most of what you write should be a commentary--what was interesting or not, good and bad, memorable or not, and what was distinctive about this particular video. The paper must be double-spaced, computer printed or typewritten. It should be about five to ten pages long. Discuss the videos in the order they were shown in class. Conclude with a paragraph listing your three most favorite and least favorite videos, with a brief explanation of your choices. If you saw all ten of the Big House videos, write about all ten; for full credit, you must discuss at least nine of the ten.
The course grade will be calculated using the five highest 100-point grades. The five grades will be averaged, according to this scale:
A = 90-100
B = 80-90
C = 70-80
D = 60-70
F = Below 60
Class Participation. The class participation grade is worth 100 points, the same as a test. It is made up of four different components:
1. Chapter discussion; worth 40 points. Each student will be assigned, by lottery, one chapter of one of the texts to discuss in class. There are two parts to this assignment: a one- to two-page typed and printed summary outline of the chapter, to be distributed to all class members (make 25 copies); and a 12- to 15-minute oral presentation to the class about the content of the chapter. The summary outlines will be distributed at the beginning of the class in which the oral presentation is scheduled; the dates can be determined by looking at the course outline. For the chapters in Christianson's With Liberty for Some to which two students are assigned, they need to meet outside of class and decide how to organize the oral reports; each must do a separate summary outline of the entire chapter, but the oral presentation can split the chapter into two parts or use some other more imaginative format. Or if they are unable to agree on a cooperative format, each can present a separate discussion of the entire chapter.
2. Class attendance; worth 30 points. Roll will be taken every day. For every day you miss, you lose three points. For each class you come in late, after one warning, you lose three points.
3. Big House fact sheets; worth 15 points. For eight of the Big House videos (everything between the first one on Eastern State and the last one on Angola), two or three students will be assigned to do a one-page "fact sheet" on each prison. The title of the page is: "Things You Should Know about _____," with the name of the prison filling the space. You can use any sources whatsoever--the Internet, old books, magazines, newspapers, reference books, anything you can find, to come up with interesting and odd facts that you think the other class members should know about this prison. These pages will be distributed at the beginning of each class before the video is shown in class. Please do not use a font so small that it will hurt us to try to read it.
4. Class discussion; worth 15 points. These points are discretionary with the professor. They are earned by taking an active part in class discussions; they are not earned automatically by being alive and being present in the classroom. If you never or rarely contribute anything to class discussions, or if you talk to other people while class is going on, sleep, leave class early, or annoy the rest of us by leaving your cell phone on, you will not earn points here.
Extra credit points. At the end of the semester, extra credit points (if earned) will be added to each student's grade. These points are earned in several ways, as described on the "Extra Points Calculation Sheet" distributed to all students.
Criminal Justice Society participation. By joining and attending meetings of the UL Criminal Justice Society, the student can earn up to 10 additional extra credit points.
Other events and activities. Students may sometimes be informed about other points to be awarded for attending extracurricular events and activities. Any such events must be open to all students, and some record must be kept of attendance or participation. Do not ask about individual projects that you might do that would not be open to other students.
Any extra credit points earned will be added on to the student's highest unit test score in advance of the final exam.
V. Class Policies
1. Students are expected to attend class regularly. Roll will be taken each class day.
2. For class attendance, an excused absence is one of two types:
a. University business. Taking part in a University-sponsored event, such as a field trip, athletic event, or some other kind of scheduled activity beneficial to students.
b. Personal business. Sickness, family emergency, work, or other personal problem that prevents class attendance.
For either type of absence to be excused, the student must present the professor with written documentation signed by higher authority (coach, employer, doctor, professor, dean of students office, etc.) verifying the reason for the absence. Any absence without documentation is considered unexcused. For this class, no more than two absences can be fully excused; any beyond two will be taken into consideration in calculating the class participation grade. Excused absences must be corrected as they occur; do not wait until the end of the semester to try to correct this.
3. If you come to class, arrive on time and plan to stay for the whole period. Avoid being late for class, and do not plan to leave early, unless by prior arrangement with the professor.
4. Do your own work.
5. No make-up exams will be given except when the professor was notified of the absence by the day of the missed exam. Make-ups must be taken before exams are returned and discussed in class. No one will be allowed to take more than one make-up exam.
6. Emergency evacuation procedures. Any students who anticipate needing emergency assistance of any sort, including assistance in evacuating the building, should identify themselves to the professor.